Desert thorn, African honey-thorn
Lycium shawii

Family: Solanaceae

What it is like

A thorny shrub. It grows 1.5 m high. It loses its leaves during drought. The leaves are spoon shaped and leathery. They are 2-3.5 cm long by 1 cm wide. The flowers can be pink, blue or white. They are on stalks in the axils of leaves. The fruit are orange-red berries. They are edible.

Where it is found

It grows in Mediterranean climates. In Bahrain it grows in gravelly and stony soil in desert areas. It grows between 800-3,000 m above sea level. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 0-100 mm. It grows in the Sahara. It can grow in arid places. It is highly salt tolerant.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Arabia, Bahrain, Botswana, East Africa, Egypt - Sinai, Eswatini, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malawi, Mediterranean, Middle East, North Africa, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Turkey, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves are chopped and cooked as a vegetable and eaten with other greens. Caution: The fruit should only be used with caution.

The fruit are rarely eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

It can be grown from seed or from stem cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Ausaj, 'awsaj, Doreda, Serim

Synonyms

Lycium arabicum Schweinf. ex Boiss.; Lycium jaegeri Dammer; Lycium javallense Lanza; Lycium merkeri Dammer; Lycium somalense Dammer; Lycium tenuiramosum Dammer; Lycium withaniifolium Dammer; Lycium cufodonfii Lanza; Lycium ellenbeckii Dammer; Lycium orientale Miers; Lycium albiflorum Dammer; Lycium albiflorum Phil.;